Welcome to the Weighted Lottery!

COVID-19 River Update, Feb-25-2021. Grand Canyon National Park's COVID-19 Mitigation Phase for River Use will move from "Medium" to "Light" restriction level on April 1, 2021. Where the "Medium" level allowed for up to 75% of summer use levels, the "Light" restriction level allows 100% river use while continuing key COVID-19 Safety Mitigation requirements. (details at https://grcariverpermits.nps.gov/pdf/COVID-19_River_Update.pdf)

TWO-YEAR DEFERMENTS. Due to the pandemic, a temporary exception to the no deferment rule has been implemented for permittees who obtained a launch date prior to March 2020 for a launch to occur before the end of August 2021. These permittees have until 70 days before their original launch date to request a 2-year deferment (the replacement launch date will be exactly 2-years later). The deferment option is NOT available for trip leaders who obtained permits after March 2020 - they knew about COVID-19, understood their trips could not be deferred, and applied for dates vacated by others who had accepted a 2-year launch date deferment. Deferment is not an option for these trip leaders.

FOLLOW-UP LOTTERIES. Follow-up lotteries will be used to re-release launch dates made available due to cancellations or deferments. These re-released launch dates cannot be deferred, and those who apply are expected to be aware of potential COVID-19 risks and take appropriate precautions.

For status updates regarding open and closed areas of Grand Canyon National Park visit https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/grand-canyon-national-park-public-health-update.htm

Lotteries

  • CLOSED: 2021 Follow-up Lottery, 7-15-2021
    • Jul 13, 2021 - Jul 15, 2021 12pm MST

If you have a profile, login:

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...or, if you have never visited this site before, create a profile.

Anyone applying for a noncommercial Colorado River rafting trip (or listed as a PATL on one) must have a profile in this system!

There are three ways to know a lottery has opened.

Use this website to submit lottery applications for noncommercial Colorado River rafting permits:

  1. Create and manage your user profile, which contains your contact information, points, river trip history, and all lottery applications you've submitted or are listed on.
  2. Create and submit a lottery application for a noncommercial (private) river trip when a lottery is open.
  3. Pay lottery application costs.

In addition, you may also use this website to:

For more information about the weighted lottery visit www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/weightedlottery.htm (opens in new window) or contact us at 800-959-9164 or 928-638-7843 (8am-noon MST, Mon-Fri) or grca_riv(insert the at symbol here)nps(insert a dot here)gov.

Permitting Process Overview

The following is a quick overview of the permitting process. A more detailed description of each step in the application and permitting process is given here.

Step 1: Create a profile. All persons listed as either a trip leader or a Potential Alternate Trip Leader (PATL) on a river lottery application must have a user account (profile) in this system.

Step 2: Login and create your application. Once you have a profile (and a lottery is open), you can login at any time before the lottery is run to create and submit a lottery application.

Step 3: Submit your completed application. All PATLs listed on your application must login to this system and accept their PATL status before the lottery drawing date; PATLs failing to do so will not be included in your lottery application.

Step 4: Pay launch year lottery application cost. A completed application is not active until costs are paid. Lottery applicants are required to pay a lottery application cost once per launch year. Once an application cost has been paid for a launch year, you can apply in all later lotteries for that launch year for no additional fee. Pay the lottery application cost through this website.

Step 5: Lottery occurs on designated date. After the lottery, you will be notified of the success/failure of your lottery application by email. You can login at any time to view the status of your lottery application. If you win a launch date, you pay a trip deposit.

Step 6: Complete a river permit application, draft trip participant list, and pay final permit costs. If successful in the lottery, you will complete a noncommercial river permit application and pay your river permit costs. You will also submit a draft trip participant list. All of these are done online through this website. (detailed cost information can be found on the FAQ page at How much are permit costs?)

Step 7: River permit is issued. When the above steps are complete, the Grand Canyon River Permit Office will issue your river permit.

FAQs

NPS Form 10-404 (Rev. 04/2021)
OMB Control No. 1024-0022
National Park Service
Expiration Date 01/31/2024

BACKCOUNTRY/WILDERNESS USE PERMIT APPLICATION

NOTICES

Privacy Act Statement

General:This information is provided pursuant to Public Law 93-579 (Privacy Act of 1974), December 21, 1984, for individuals completing this form.

Authority: 54 U.S.C. §100101, NPS Organic Act; 16 U.S.C. 1131-1136, Wilderness Act; 43 U.S.C. §1701 et seq.,16 U.S.C. §6801-6814, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act; 36 CFR Part 71, Recreation Fees; 36 CFR 1.6, Permits; and 36 CFR 2.23 Recreation Fees.

Purpose and Uses: To establish and verify an applicant's eligibility for a permit to conduct certain activities within the National Park System and to process permits for individual members of the public and organizations interested in obtaining a permit authorizing an activity. Information collected will be used to provide the public and permittees with permit-related information, to monitor activities conducted under a permit, to analyze data and produce reports to monitor the use park resources, to assess the impact of permitted activities on the conservation and management of protected species and their habitats, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the permit programs. The DOI and NPS may use the information to meet reporting requirements, to generate budget estimates and track performance, and to assist park staff with visitor education, fee collection, resource management and protection, recreational use planning, law enforcement and public safety personnel for such purposes as emergency contact and search and rescue efforts; to provide permit holders and participants with information about parks and their partners; and to provide reports of activities conducted under an issued permit.

Based on the disclosures generally permitted under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b) of the Privacy Act, the National Park Service may share information with first responders and Federal, state, and local governments to provide information needed to locate an individual or render aid in an emergency; to recover debts owed to the United States; to respond to a violation or potential violation of the law; in response to a court order and/or discovery purposes related to litigation; or other authorized routine use when the disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were compiled.

Effects of Nondisclosure: It is in your best interest to answer all of the questions. The U.S. Criminal Code, Title 18 U.S.C. 1001, provides that knowingly falsifying or concealing a material fact is a felony that may result in fines of up to $10,000 or 5 years in prison, or both. Deliberately and materially making false or fraudulent statements on this form will be grounds for not granting you a Backcountry/Wilderness Use Permit.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement

We are collecting this information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501) and 36 CFR 1-7, 12 and 13 which authorize the National Park Service to require applicants to fill out this form to monitor resources and to protect visitors. This information is being collected to allow the park management to make value judgements necessary to enhance the safety and enjoyment of both the visitors and wildlife. All applicable parts of the form must be completed in order for your request to be considered. You are not required to respond to this or any other Federal agency-sponsored information collection unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Estimated Burden Statement

Public Reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 8 minutes per response, including the time it takes for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form should be sent to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park Service, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80525. Do not send this application to this address but rather to the park address listed at the top of the first page.